


Hard Rock

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Music, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, M/M, Rock Star Poe Dameron, Writer Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 04:50:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17440262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: At twenty-seven, Ben Solo has the goal of becoming a writer, and has mostly shut himself in. When his friends Phasma and Hux, however, practically drag him to a concert for the band Black Squadron, led by the charismatic Poe Dameron, Ben finds that his world is about to change.





	Hard Rock

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Call this another challenge idea that got too big.

Normally, Ben Solo wouldn’t be doing something like this, if Phasma and Hux hadn’t effectively dragged him away from a day of working on his current WIP in order to have him attend a Black Squadron concert. 

“It’ll be fun!” Phasma said, and Ben supposed that she was right. He couldn’t help but be uncomfortable when he was away from his writing too long. Still, he trusted Phasma’s judgment, and from what he saw of the information on Black Squadron...

Well, they looked interesting. The lead singer was pretty handsome as well, not that that was necessarily important. Still, Ben couldn’t help but admire the moody photos, the deep look of concentration as he sang. Handsome. Probably had millions of people, regardless of orientation, swooning over him. 

If Ben was jealous, even a little...

”It’ll be fun, Ben,” Phasma said. “Trust me.”

”It’ll be different, I know that.”

”Good different, though,” Phasma said. “Really.”

***

The concert was packed when they got there. That was putting it mildly. Even as Ben, Phasma and Hux squeezed through the crowd, Ben could practically smell the truly unpleasant mixture of other people’s sweat, and when they finally did find a good place to be (somewhere in the front), Ben sighed in relief. There were too many people. Too many presences, really. Even as Ben stood with Hux and Phasma in front of the stage, he felt a sudden sort of discomfort being there, which was quickly swept away when Poe Dameron himself, or Black Leader, stepped out into the spotlight, to be replaced by amazement. If Ben thought that he was handsome before, then his presence in the spotlight was positively beautiful. The light cast on his black curls gave him a sort of haloed look. Everything about him seemed to have a certain glow to it, like Arwen’s first appearance in the Fellowship of the Ring movie. 

Ben swallowed. Knowing the lead singer of Black Squadron was handsome was one thing. This was something else. 

The other band members stepped out. Quite a few of them, actually. Poe Dameron, meanwhile, flashed a smile to the rest of the crowd, a practically radiant one. “Evening, everyone!” he shouted over the din of others cheering. “Excited to be here?”

A resounding “Yeah!” from the crowd. Ben, meanwhile, couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. Were concerts usually this overwhelming? 

Dameron continued. “You know this one, you love this one. This one’s got a spark in it, all right!”

”The Spark”. It had been one of their most successful hits, and Phasma had talked at length about how amazing it was after she’d heard it. Granted, Phasma was a big Black Squadron fan anyway, but even so...

”Let’s do this,” Dameron said, and the drums started. A burly-looking bearded man started them out. The audience was quiet even as Dameron sang. There was something about his voice where that was smooth and soft, pleasant to listen to, brimming with a quiet intensity. He sang of loss, of the moment where it seemed that things had reached their lowest point. 

_“And you look around, no one’s come for you, you are alone. The spark is gone...”_

 Ben bit his lip. He hadn’t expected the song to start on such a note of despair. And then, as the piano kicked in (a striking young Vietnamese woman on piano), the song built to a crescendo. Dameron sang of hope, of holding out no matter what. That song had saved lives, Ben had heard, and even listening, Ben couldn’t help but be drawn in. 

_“As long as there’s light we’ve got a chance...”_

And as Dameron sang, Ben couldn’t help but watch him. That continued throughout the night, as the songs transitioned from one to the other, as Dameron sang, occasionally encouraging the others to join him in the chorus, to move — and Ben found that moving with the others, once he got the hang of it, was easy. 

***

The first thing that Ben noticed (after the concert ended and everyone went to get autographs) about the outside of Poe Dameron’s trailer was that it was packed. It seemed that everyone and their mother wanted to be in line for an autograph from the members of Black Squadron, with quite a few of the girls (and even the guys) being taken in by Poe Dameron. Hux and Phasma were already getting autographs, though Ben had a feeling that Hux was mostly there as the considerate boyfriend more than anything else. And of course, Ben was there as the third wheel. Where Hux and Phasma went, Ben went. It was just a fact. Ben hung back, feeling suddenly very shy; even the idea of simply going over to Dameron and saying “Hey, good concert” was intimidating.

Pity he was such a chicken. 

Even as Phasma got her autograph, thanking Dameron politely, Ben walked forward. He couldn’t say he was thinking of much except making sure that Phasma and Hux were safe. Hux was talking to one of the band members, and though he was still his usual Hux-y self, Ben had a feeling that this was the first time he’d actually seen Hux excited about something in a while. He smiled faintly, even as he approached Hux and Phasma. “You know I’m gonna have to drive, right?”

It was then that Poe Dameron looked at him, and if Ben didn’t know better, he’d say he was amazed to see him. Like something astounding had fallen from the sky down to Earth. 

He quickly composed himself and spoke. “Friend of yours?” he said, and God, there was no way that Dameron had any right to sound that appealing even off-stage. He sounded so beautiful. As much as his face was beautiful — and Ben had to compose himself lest he actually screw up in front of this really gorgeous, talented man. 

“Ben Solo,” Ben said. And before he could stop himself, he said, “I’m just their chaperone. Keeping them from getting into trouble.”

Silence. Then Dameron actually laughed — but it was a sweet, musical sound that Ben couldn’t say he minded at all, really. Phasma seemed to be fighting a smile as well.

”Well,” Dameron said, “You’re doing a good job. They haven’t gotten in trouble so far.”

”They’re a handful,” Ben said wryly. 

“Oi!” Phasma said, but she sounded only mock-indignant. 

Ben smiled at her. Something about the situation was already putting him at ease. “You did great,” he said as he turned back to Poe, remembering Dameron’s voice, remembering the way he’d just moved. “Really.”

Dameron shrugged — an endearing gesture that just made Ben like him more. “We practiced.” 

“I can imagine.”

Dameron paused. “You know, I saw everything in the audience, Ben,” he said, and even Ben’s name sounded pretty on Poe’s lips. “You can move, you know that?”

It was Ben’s turn to shrug. “I tried.”

”You succeeded.”

Silence. Then Ben spoke. “I better go. I have to drive these two back home.”

Dameron nodded. “No problem. By the way...” He handed back the autographed bit of merchandise to Ben, and Ben’s heart fluttered. 

“Thank you,” he said. 

Dameron smiled warmly. “Any time. And be sure to come back!”

***

”You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

That was what Phasma said even as they drove home. Ben was trying, God willing, to keep his eye on the road, but he couldn’t quite calm his beating heart, and how he swore that it beat for Dameron and Dameron alone. 

“Well,” Ben said, “I don’t. He’s a very attractive, charming man, but you can find those anywhere in the rock world. He’s nothing special.”

Phasma laughed. “Methinks Ben Solo doth protest too much. I saw the look on your face; it was like you’d seen an angel...”

”Like I said, you can find those anywhere in the rock world.”

Hux spoke up. “He’s definitely very talented, I will say that. Solid lyrics, solid vocals...and those behind him are just as skilled. A perfect balance, if you will.”

”So you liked it?” Phasma said. 

“I...had a good time,” Hux said. “Well played, Phasma.”

They headed back down the road together, and Ben knew for certain that something was going on with Poe Dameron. Was it love? Just a crush from newly found fan to another? 

Ben didn’t know. But he knew that things had definitely gotten more interesting. 

 


End file.
